Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Indian cricket deserves clarity over their futures, not hocus-pocus
Despite clear long-term ambitions from coaching and selection staff, uncertainty looms over the ODI futures of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While both superstars are performing well, the Indian cricket board needs to initiate direct dialogue regarding their inclusion in the 2027 World Cup plans. This lack of clarity, in the current scenario, hurts the dressing room more than it helps promote competitiveness.
New Delhi: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has expressed a strong desire to remain through the Los Angeles Olympics. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar wants to stay until the 2027 ODI World Cup. T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has set his sights on 2028 and ODI captain Shubman Gill has locked the ultimate target for South Africa.
Every important individual in Indian cricket is focussed on what lies ahead but the biggest irony is that two of the country's biggest superstars still have to deal with non-committal undertones. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - two former ODI captains and arguably the finest cricketers to have played the game - are yet to receive public backing for next year's showpiece in South Africa. "There is still time left," "the World Cup is nearly two years away," "we want to focus on the present.
" With time, the statements have changed but the sentiment remains the same. The only reassuring words from the Indian camp came in October 2025 when India's Test and newly-appointed ODI captain, Gill, supported the two stalwarts. "Absolutely," Gill said, when asked if he saw Rohit and Kohli playing an important role in ODIs leading into the World Cup.
"The experience the two of them have (is immense), and there are very few players who can match the number of matches they have won for India," he added. Less than a week later, coach Gambhir urged everyone to "stay in the present. " "Look, 50-over World Cup is still two-and-a-half years away, and I think it is very important to stay in the present," he said in a press conference after India beat West Indies 2-0 in the Test series.
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